


Down the Rabbit Hole

by emchan22



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead Series - Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga
Genre: F/M, Universe Alteration
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-04-27 04:12:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14417421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emchan22/pseuds/emchan22
Summary: Athena Bates just wanted a break from her day to day life, but what she got was so much more. Now she's trying to survive in a world with all of her favorite characters. Will knowing what will happen next save her life, or destroy it?~~Rated M for later chapters.





	Down the Rabbit Hole

            It was hard, life. Being seventeen and working a full-time job while also attending school full time. Athena Bates could do it, but she wished more than anything that she could escape, that she could get away from all of it for just a moment. As she looked out onto her front lawn from the balcony where she stood she wanted nothing more than to be able to get away.

            With a sigh, knowing that she had to go to sleep, so she could wake up again the next day and go back to school followed by another shift at the burger joint where she worked like she did almost every day.

            As she turned to go back to her room she caught a bright flash of light across the sky, a shooting star. She smiled softly to herself before taking the opportunity to make a wish. “I wish that for once I could live another life.” She shook her head at herself before turning and making her way into her room, closing the door behind her.

            She crawled into bed before leaning over to switch on her alarm. She turned over in bed, pulling the covers up over her shoulders before letting herself start to drift off to sleep.

            When Athena opened her eyes she quickly had to close them again as an involuntary response to the liquid that splashed across her face. But after another moment she soon came to find that it was not liquid, or at least too thick to be water anyway. When she got up the courage to open her eyes she could see the man looming over her, then she could suddenly come to terms enough to know that she was not in her bed.

            She looked around as she scrambled backward on the ground, her eyes never leaving the man. After a moment she realized that she knew him. That she had seen his face flash across her TV screen a thousand times. It was Daryl Dixon. Her face suddenly turned from fear to understanding, back to fear once she saw the dead corpse laying next to her on the ground.

            “You okay?” she heard him ask, his face clearly displaying the uneasiness he felt.

            “Heh, I’m dreaming,” Athena answered him before dragging herself up off of the ground. She watched him and for a moment she wondered why he was alone, but quickly assumed it was because he was off hunting on his own. “You’re Daryl Dixon, and I’m dreaming right now.”

            Suddenly he raised his bow, pointing it at her and she quickly realized that she was not dreaming. Never had she been inside of a dream and come to the realization that she was actually dreaming, and she was certain that it was not going to start happening now. “How do you know my name?” At least she had been right about who she was.

            “I don’t know,” she lied quickly, throwing her hands up once she was sure that this was actually serious. “I just know, and I don’t know where I am or how I got here.” She watched him, her eyes pleading with him, hoping that if she had landed in the world of The Walking Dead that she had at least come across the softer version of Daryl.

            Quickly she could tell that he was not buying her excuse, so she grappled for words to explain what she was trying to say. “I’m Athena Bates. I’m out here in the woods with no weapon, and clearly, something is not right because I couldn’t just be laying here asleep, so I could have my brain eaten. You have to believe me.” Daryl watched her for a moment before lowering his crossbow, his stance still on guard.

            “You’re tellin' the truth?” It was not exactly what she had expected, but she would take it. The statement might have been just what she needed in order to save her life.

            “Yes, I am.” She watched him, seeing the consideration on his face, seeing the sudden judgment in his eyes.

            “If you’re lyin’ I’ll kill you.”

            “I’m not I promise.” Daryl watched her before nodding his head in the opposite direction.

            “Come on, we’ll let Rick decide what to do with you.”

            That one name said it all for her, to let her know exactly what she needed to do and say. Somehow, she had landed in just the universe that she had always fantasized about being in, yet somehow now that she was here she wanted nothing other than to go home.

            She followed him through the woods after taking one last glance back at the walker. Now that she was in this world she knew exactly what she needed to do to survive, and if she had arrived soon enough she would be prepared for the future. Her only regret was that she had not taken the time to watch season eight, that and the fact that she had not worn shoes to bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Questions, comments, concerns? Don't be afraid to tell me what you think!


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